The Case of the Philandering Husband
by Cheynne T
Summary: Dr Caroline Elliot suspects that her husband, John, is having an affair so she hires a private investigator, Kate McKenzie to find out for sure.
1. Chapter 1

**AU: Dr Caroline Elliot suspects that her husband is having an affair with another woman so she hires a private investigator, Kate McKenzie, to find out for sure. **

"The Case of the Philandering Husband"

Chapter 1

It was a slow day in the office of "McKenzie Investigations". Kate McKenzie, the owner and chief private investigator….the only private investigator… attached to the business, had completed all of her jobs and filed all her paperwork for the week so far. The only job left to do was to untangle the paperclips.

As Kate gave serious thought to the idea of closing up early for the day and going home or perhaps catching a movie at the local cinema, she caught sight of a woman standing on the footpath outside her shop front. It seemed to her that the woman was having difficulty deciding whether or not to actually come in. Kate's natural instincts as a private investigator kicked in as she observed the woman closely through the glass window and, rightly or wrongly, made some assumptions. She guessed that the woman was in her early to mid-forties. The carefully-tailored clothes lead Kate to think that she was probably a professional of some description and there was something about the woman, a slightly haughty air perhaps, which told Kate that she was a woman of intellect and someone who is used to being in charge. Then the woman stepped in front of the door and out of Kate's line of vision.

A few seconds later the door opened and the woman tentatively entered the small office. What Kate hadn't been able to fully appreciate when this woman was outside but she could see very clearly now was how stunningly beautiful she was. It had been a long time since someone this breath-taking had walked into Kate's office or life. Kate's eyes didn't know where to look first. The woman had the most incredible legs which she enhanced even further by wearing ridiculously sexy high heels; her eyes were a piercing blue that made Kate just want to dive into them and her hair was a shock of shoulder length natural blonde.

Realising that she must have been staring, Kate gave her head a quick shake to clear her thoughts and regained her composure. She placed her jacket that she had been about to put on over the back of her chair and gave the woman a friendly, inviting smile as she approached her. The blonde woman noticed Kate and took a few more steps further into the room.

"Sorry…"the woman said nervously, "are you still open for business?"

"We certainly are…..when I say 'we' I mean 'me'….I was about to close the shop and head off….I have a couple of cases I'm working on at the moment," Kate lied, " but you're here now so, yes, I am open for business."

Kate realised she was beginning to ramble, not something she was usually prone to, but this woman seemed to unravel her a bit. She then backtracked and introduced herself to the potential customer.

"I'm Kate McKenzie. How can I help you?" she said as she reached out and politely shook the woman's hand, noticing the softness of her fair skin but also the strength of her grip.

"McKenzie? As in McKenzie Investigations? Are you the private investigator?" the blonde woman asked, a note of surprise in her voice.

Kate nodded. She was used to what was to come next.

"Oh…for some reason I was expecting a man...how stupid of me…. I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Kate laughed, "you're not the first to assume that and you probably won't be the last."

"Actually, I'm glad you're a woman," Caroline stated bluntly, "I think I prefer to talk to a woman about this matter rather than a man."

"Would you like to sit down and tell me exactly what it is I can do for you?" Kate asked as she indicated to the chair in front of her desk.

The woman made her way to Kate's desk, pulled out the chair and sat with her back straight, her shoulders squared and her jaw set firmly. Kate took up the chair on the opposite side of the small desk.

"Um…I didn't quite catch your name," Kate said, although she knew that the woman hadn't yet told her.

"Oh, sorry…I'm a bit nervous about all of this. I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or not by considering hiring a private investigator….I'm Caroline Elliot….Dr Caroline Elliot."

Kate wrote the name down on her note pad.

"That's with two 'l's and one't'."

Kate scratched out the second 't'.

"Okay, Dr Elliot, if you would like to outline the problem for me, I can tell you if I can be of help or not."

As she spoke, Kate had to make a conscious effort not to get caught in the gaze of the woman's startling blue eyes but they were like magnets drawing her own brown eyes to them.

The woman began speaking softly, obviously having difficulty coming to terms with her problem.

"I think my husband is having an affair with another woman," she finally revealed. "I've been going to just ask him outright about it but I don't have any real proof and ….anyway, he'd probably deny it and I don't think I would believe him if he did. I feel guilty not trusting him but…."Her voice petered out as she was unsure what to say next.

Despite the woman's outward appearance of confidence and strength, Kate could sense that she was feeling quite lost and vulnerable.

"What makes you think that he's having an affair, Dr Elliot?" Kate asked gently.

After a moment of internal deliberation, Dr Elliot answered, "I'm not sure really….that's why I feel a little foolish being here…it's mainly just a gut feeling I have. He's away a lot with his job…he's a lecturer and a writer and goes off to various conferences…and he's been regularly getting home much later than usual recently. Each time, he has a perfectly plausible explanation ….I don't know…I'm not sure I should be doing this."

Dr Elliot made to get up and leave but Kate reached across the desk and put her own hand lightly on the woman's forearm.

"Dr Elliot, can I tell you that most of my clients say the same thing and usually their instincts are right…and if they're not…well, no harm has been done," Kate reassured her, "my investigation is strictly between you and me unless you decide otherwise."

Caroline sat down again as Kate continued.

"You strike me as an intelligent woman…not one prone to panic …so I wouldn't be surprised if you are onto something. Don't feel foolish."

The woman gave Kate a small, uncertain smile.

"If you would like me to take up the case, I'll take some details and make some quick notes now and tomorrow I'll set out a formal contract," Kate explained, "and then if you could come back tomorrow afternoon at a time convenient for you and sign the contract, we can begin."

Dr Elliot considered things for a moment and then asked, "How much will it cost? How do you charge?"

Kate leaned forward slightly in her chair, one hand resting in the other on the desk.

"It's an hourly rate of £80. At the end of each week I will give you an invoice detailing the work done and there's an advance of £200."

Again the woman took some time to think things through before nodding her agreement.

"Right then…let me get some information down."

Kate picked up her pen, opened to a clean page on her note book and then proceeded to jot down some essential information; firstly, the basic details such as address, contact numbers and the like and then some details about the actual case and, in particular, Dr Elliot's husband. Normally, Kate would enter this information straight onto her computer and have the contract ready to sign almost immediately but she found herself wanting to see this woman again very soon so the excuse of getting her back to complete the contract the next day was the best thing Kate could come up with on the spur of the moment.

Another half an hour later Kate had all the details she needed to get the contract made up and the case underway but she was reluctant to have the woman leave.

"When you come in tomorrow to sign the contract, could you bring in a recent photograph of your husband, please?" Kate asked.

Sensing that the business was done, Dr Elliot nodded and then stood, leaned across the desk slightly and shook Kate's hand once again in a parting gesture. Instead of releasing her hand, Kate, who had never been backwards in coming forward, held onto it a bit longer.

As she continued to hold her hand, Dr Elliot asked with an amused grin on her face, "Are we finished?"

"Yes, we are," Kate replied, finally releasing the woman's hand, "but I was wondering if you would be interested in joining me for a drink? There's a lovely, little pub just around the corner….we could go and have a drink and you could tell me a bit more about the case in a less formal atmosphere."

Kate could see her thinking it over and was prepared for her to refuse the invitation but she could see no harm in asking anyway.

"Sure…why not?" Dr Elliot finally answered, "I think I'd quite like some company and I could certainly do with a strong drink."

Unbeknown to Kate, her new client had also been experiencing the same strong attraction. She found Kate's easy, no-nonsense manner and self-confidence mixed with a kind touch, not to mention the seductiveness of her beautiful smile, all very appealing.

_"Mmmm...She's very pretty," the woman thought to herself._

"Fantastic," Kate replied, perhaps a little too enthusiastically before she could restrain herself.

Kate grabbed her jacket and satchel, set the security system on, turned off some lights and headed for the door. When they were both outside, she locked the door behind them and led the way to the pub which was a mere five minute walk away.

Once they arrived, Kate bought them each a drink, a merlot for Dr Elliot and a gin and tonic for herself and then they settled themselves comfortably into a booth some distance away from the more raucous customers.

"Cheers, Dr Elliot," Kate said as she raised her glass.

"Please…if you're going to drink with me call me 'Caroline'," the woman insisted, "'Dr Elliot' is for the students at my school."

"Cheers, Caroline."

They chinked their glasses and then each woman, for different reasons, took a long swig of their drink.

Having already deduced that Caroline was a teacher, Kate asked, "What school are you at?"

"I'm the Head Teacher at Sulgrave Heath Independent School," Caroline replied a little self-consciously.

Kate gave a soft, low whistle. "Impressive."

Caroline blushed slightly at the compliment.

"And what kind of books does this husband of yours write?"

"He writes novels," Caroline replied.

Kate shook her head. "I can't say that I've heard of him. Is he any good?"

"He had a couple of best sellers but that was several years ago. He hasn't written anything noteworthy for a while now….his brain is too addled with alcohol I suspect."

Kate noted the enmity of this last comment.

The two women talked casually for some time, keeping to relatively safe topics. Kate discovered that Caroline had two teenage boys and that the elder, William, was hoping to follow in his mother's footsteps by going to Oxford, while the other son was not as academically brilliant but was very good at sports. She also found out that Caroline's widowed mother was getting remarried at the age of 75 to a long, lost love.

When they finished their first drink, Caroline went to the bar and bought a second round despite the fact that she had promised herself she would only have one and then be off. However, she found herself to be feeling more relaxed than she had in months just talking with Kate.

It was as they were finishing their second drink that Caroline asked Kate, "Are you married?"

Kate took her time in answering. It had been quite a while since she'd given her married days any thought.

"I was….but I'm not now," she replied simply.

"What happened? Did he have an affair?…..Sorry," Caroline apologised, realising she had possibly crossed a line. "You don't have to answer that."

"No…it's fine, Caroline. I don't mind talking about it; it's just that it seems like a whole other life time ago. I haven't thought about it for ages," Kate explained, "and no, he didn't have an affair…I did…with a woman."

Caroline's blue eyes opened wide in surprise. "With a woman?"

Once Kate had come to terms with her sexuality many years ago, she had promised herself that she would never lie about who she was.

"Yes…a woman. You'd be surprised by the number of lesbians out there that have been married at some stage or other in their lives."

Caroline went quiet as she studied her glass.

"Have I shocked you?" Kate asked.

"Yes…no…I'm a bit surprised…I hadn't thought of you as being gay….but it doesn't worry me in the least," Caroline garbled.

"It's getting late," Caroline then noted as she looked at her watch, "I probably need to be heading off. The boys will be wondering where I am."

Kate didn't think she was being paranoid when she thought it was more than a coincidence that Caroline had to suddenly leave so soon after Kate had revealed to her that she was gay.

Both women drained their glasses, stood and walked towards the doorway. While they had been inside it had started to rain and it was continuing to fall as they were about to leave. Kate quickly ducked back inside and borrowed an umbrella from behind the bar and then returned to Caroline. She opened the umbrella and the two of them huddled under it as they walked back to Kate's office. Feeling Caroline's body so close to her own made Kate wish her office was a lot further away.

As they reached the shop front and were about to say their good-byes, Kate felt a strong desire to kiss the lovely Dr Elliot….hell, who was she kidding? She'd wanted to kiss her since she'd first seen her enter her office but then Kate's sensible side kicked in. This was business, she told herself…much-needed business…she had bills to pay…she couldn't afford to scare off new customers because she had the urge to kiss them and, besides, she'd seen Caroline's reaction to her being gay…what was she thinking? Using all her willpower, Kate refrained and instead she said, "I'll see you tomorrow afternoon to sign that contract."

Before Kate could even register what was happening, she suddenly felt her face being cupped by Caroline's soft hands and the woman's beautiful lips pressing against her own. She then felt Caroline's tongue teasing hers for several precious moments but all too soon though for Kate's liking, the kiss had ended.

"Will four o'clock suit you?" Caroline asked innocently as their lips parted.

Kate nodded mutely, her power of speech seemingly gone with the kiss. Caroline gave her the most seductive of smiles before heading the short distance to her car. Kate stood in her doorway, still mesmerised by what had happened and wondering how she was going to get through until four o'clock the next day.


	2. Chapter 2

"The Case of the Philandering Husband"

Chapter 2

Four o'clock the next afternoon came and went but there was no sign of Dr Elliot….Caroline.

Kate had spent most of the night tossing and turning as she attempted to find sleep but her mind kept playing Caroline's kiss over and over again on a continuous loop and presenting her with her own personal slideshow of the gorgeous Dr Elliot….the cerulean eyes, the shapely legs, the ample breasts, the dusting of freckles on her cheeks. Eventually, in the early hours of the morning, Kate gave up on sleep and instead, she decided to dress and go for a rare morning walk. Usually she preferred to leave getting up to the very last minute. The sun had only been up for a couple of hours so the air was still biting and crisp. Kate rugged herself up well and set off, unsure of where she was headed exactly but needing to clear her mind.

After almost an hour of walking quite aimlessly but at a steady pace, Kate returned to her little flat above her office. When she had first signed the lease on the office space more than two years ago now, the main feature that had 'sold' it to her was the fact that the lease included the modest but comfortable flat upstairs which was where Kate now resided. It was quite small but fully self-contained and perfectly suited to her needs. She could access the flat using the external stairs at the rear of the building or via the internal staircase in the back of the office.

Kate let herself in and then showered and prepared a basic breakfast after which she decided she should probably go into her office and get started on some work. Kate knew that she needed to keep herself busy today so that the hours before four o'clock weren't too tedious.

Usually the task of getting dressed for the day took minimal time and effort … a pair jeans and a shirt and a jacket over the top….but today Kate fussed through several sets of clothes, discarding a number of items of clothing, before deciding on a pair of smart, black trousers and a crisp white shirt. Once she was satisfied that she looked quite presentable, Kate made her way down to her office.

Her first job for the day, of course, was to transfer all the information Dr Elliot….Caroline…had given her onto one of her standard contract forms ready for the woman to sign later in the afternoon, after all, it was the surreptitious excuse for her to come back. Once it was done, Kate printed off a copy of the contract and placed it in an official-looking folder and left it on the centre of her desk. She then saved all the information Caroline had given her so far in a folder on her computer and backed it up.

With nothing more pressing to do and the thought of Caroline firmly entrenched in her mind, Kate proceeded to see what else she could find out for herself about both Caroline and John Elliot. She put the name 'John Elliot' into her search engine first and immediately came up with a short list of sites about Caroline's husband but, after a quick skim through the various bits of information, found nothing particularly useful apart from the university where he taught in York and a map showing the building where his office was located. There was a small bit of waffle about his two books that had made the 'Best Seller' list a while back now but, after reading the blurb on them, Kate decided that neither book captured her interest. The most interesting thing Kate did find was a photo of John which she studied closely for both professional and personal reasons. Kate supposed that he could be considered quite handsome and he had a charismatic air about him perhaps but, in the end, she came to the conclusion that he was probably a complete tosser, although she was willing to concede that her opinion could possibly be tainted or somewhat skewed.

Kate then entered Caroline's name into the search engine of her computer. In a matter of seconds, a comprehensive compilation of material on Sulgrave Heath Independent Public School and a very formal photo of Dr Caroline Elliot DPhil, MEd, the Head Teacher, in her academic gown appeared on her screen. Although only a photo, Caroline's intelligent eyes seemed to peer out at Kate, taking her breath away yet again. She scrolled through the information on Caroline which included her experience as a teacher and administrator, academic achievements and philosophy on education. It was all a bit dry and not what Kate was really interested in but it helped to put together the puzzle that was Caroline Elliot, the woman who was making Kate's head spin.

Gazing at this woman on her computer screen was not helping the time pass more quickly…Kate needed a distraction…something entirely unrelated to the case and to Caroline, to help her take her mind off the gorgeous blonde as there were still several hours to go until four o'clock and before she would see her again.

Kate decided that it was time to totally overhaul her filing system. It was a job that she'd been meaning to do for many months now but the enormity of the task had discouraged her and so she'd put off doing it. Now she attacked the job with relish knowing that it would take at least two hours off her day. Kate rolled up her sleeves and proceeded to go through and carefully check each and every file, discarding all the old files for shredding and sorting and refiling those she needed to keep.

Almost three hours later, Kate stood back to admire her achievement – a large pile of files to be destroyed and three neatly organised filing cabinets. As she did this she noticed that her hands and the clothes she had so carefully chosen that morning were now covered in dust and grime…she needed to shower and change.

Kate temporarily locked up her office and dashed upstairs. A decent, clean pair of jeans and a not-too-crumpled blouse amongst the discarded clothing from the morning's effort were the best she could do. She then took a leisurely shower.

While she was upstairs, Kate also made herself a sandwich which she took back down to her office to eat. As she sat at her desk with her sandwich, Kate allowed herself to yet again replay the events of the previous evening over in her mind until she was startled from her daydreaming by the ringing of her mobile phone. Kate looked at the screen to identify the caller and then answered it. It was a local branch of an insurance agency that occasionally employed her to carry out investigations on suspect clients. Kate immediately slipped into business mode as she jotted down details and asked pertinent questions. Half an hour later she had all the information she needed and another job to help pay the bills.

As the afternoon crept on, Kate's eyes snuck yet another look at the clock for perhaps the hundredth time that day and to her relief it showed only a few minutes until four o'clock. She did a final check of her emails, quickly tidied her desk and ran a judgemental eye over her office…all was good. Kate could feel her heart beat begin to quicken in anticipation of what the afternoon might bring once Caroline stepped through her door. It surprised her how much she was looking forward to seeing the ravishing blonde again. The last time she had felt this excited, Kate recalled, was when the girl at high school who she'd had a huge crush on for months had taken her by the hand after choir practice, led her off to a secluded alcove and kissed her fully on the lips and reached her hand under Kate's blouse. Unfortunately, when Kate attempted to make more of the relationship, it had all ended in tears. Kate was hoping that this meeting wouldn't have the same fate.

As the hands on her office clock moved forward and showed 4:20pm, Caroline had not yet appeared and Kate's excitement steadily turned to anxiousness. Why wasn't she here? Was she alright? Perhaps she'd been involved in an accident. However, by 5:00pm Kate's anxiety had become bitter disappointment. Perhaps she'd had second thoughts about hiring an investigator to check up on her husband or maybe she regretted the previous evening's kiss and was too embarrassed to turn up. Whatever the reason, Kate decided that the woman was not coming. She reluctantly set about closing up for the day and contemplated going around to the pub and drowning her disappointment in a few drinks.

While Kate was fumbling through the keys on her key ring for the one to lock the front door, her eye caught a glimpse of a figure passing outside, then there was a light knock at the door. She held her breath in hope as, without hesitation, she opened it and found herself looking straight into the magnificent cobalt blue of Dr Caroline Elliot's eyes.

"Oh, thank goodness…I thought I'd missed you," Caroline said with a sigh of relief as she stepped into the office and stood barely centimetres from Kate whose mood had swung from the depths of disappointment to extreme exhilaration in the blink of an eye.

"I'm sorry I'm so late…there was an 'incident' at school this afternoon and I had to deal with it straight away and it took some sorting out," Caroline explained apologetically, all the while maintaining a close proximity to Kate, "and I find that I don't have your phone number which is a matter we should rectify as soon as possible."

"That's alright…Caroline," Kate replied, struggling to regain her composure, "I've been quite busy today and I've only just realised myself how late it is."

Caroline smiled knowingly as though she sensed that Kate was lying through her teeth.

"Excuse me…" Caroline said softly and then raised a hand to Kate's face to gently brush away a stray eyelash from the investigator's cheek. Caroline then allowed her fingers to trail lightly along Kate's jaw.

The touch sent a rush of tiny, electric shockwaves to Kate's core.

"Do you have that contract for me to sign?" Caroline asked, a barely perceptible smile on her face as she took in the effect her touch had had on the private investigator.

"Yes, I do….it's on my desk," Kate eventually answered.

Kate walked over to her desk, sat in her chair and opened the folder containing the contract. She used her pen to then mark with a small cross the places that needed a signature. She had expected the woman to sit in the chair opposite her to sign but, instead, Caroline came around the desk and stood beside Kate, her right hand resting on the back of Kate's chair while she leant over and took the pen with her left, deliberately brushing Kate's fingers as she did so. As Caroline leaned over, their bodies so close Kate could feel the strands of blonde hair sweeping her cheek, she inhaled the subtle, seductive scent of Caroline's perfume….Chanel No.5 if Kate wasn't mistaken.

"There, done." Caroline announced as she finished signing and put the pen back down on the desk with a dramatic flourish.

Suddenly it was all too much for Kate….the torturous wait, the electrifying closeness and touches, the expensive perfume. This time it was Kate who took the initiative. She plunged her hands into Caroline's silken hair and drew the woman's mouth close to her own. Any reservedness Kate had felt up till now fell by the wayside as she captured Caroline's delicate bottom lip in her mouth, biting it gently. Caroline responded with a barely audible moan then she pulled back for a moment. Kate could see the look of pure lust in Caroline's eyes. With one sweeping movement of her hand, Caroline cleared the top of Kate's desk of any impediments and then manoeuvred her onto it. She tore impatiently at Kate's shirt buttons and ran her hands roughly over the dark, exposed torso taking in its beauty and smoothness. Their lips pressed together urgently and each captured the others' tongue in a sensual dance.

"We can't do this here," Kate managed to say, her breath ragged, as she indicated to the windows which exposed them to anyone who bothered to look in.

Caroline stopped for a moment, almost past caring if people could see or not, and asked, "Where can we go that's close by?"

"My flat is upstairs," Kate answered but then she remembered the state she had left her bedroom in that morning. "Can you give me two minutes to go upstairs and straighten up?"

Caroline nodded.

Kate raced up the stairs and into the bedroom. Manically, she picked up the various items of scattered clothing and flung them into the wardrobe and out of sight. When she was satisfied that the room was presentable she dashed back down the stairs only slowing to a more normal pace at the bottom of the staircase. However, as Kate re-entered her office she saw that it was empty. Caroline had gone. On her desk, beside the signed contract, there was now £200, the advance for the investigation, a recent photo of John and a scribbled note saying, "I have to go." The only thing that remained of Caroline was the faint scent of her perfume.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N Kate will get on with the actual investigation very soon but we have to get this bit out of the way first.**

"The Case of the Philandering Husband"

Chapter 3

"What the f…..! What game was this woman playing?" Kate wondered as she stood in her office, her dishevelled blouse still open and her emotions fluctuating wildly between anger, frustration and bewilderment.

"Well, whatever game it is, I'm not about to play," Kate muttered sternly to herself as she went about picking up the things that Caroline had swept onto the floor and replacing them on her desk in an orderly fashion. She also located the three buttons that had been torn, in the hurried throes of lust, from her blouse. She put them in her blouse pocket and would sew them back on later. Kate then put the £200 that Caroline had left, in her cash box.

When Kate was satisfied that her desk was sorted, she locked the front door and went up the stairs to her flat, determined to do whatever it took to get Caroline Elliot out of her mind. As she trudged up each step, Kate tried to recall if she had a sufficient supply of red wine on hand.

In her bedroom, Kate took off the blouse that was now stripped of most of its buttons and slung it over the back of the single chair that was in the room which is where it would remain until she had the urge or the need to mend it. In its place she put on her favourite, well-worn sweatshirt.

Kate headed to the kitchen, turning on the television on her way, more as a distraction than out of actual interest and then went directly for the cupboard where she kept her stock of red wine. She was dismayed to see that her supply had dwindled down to only two bottles. She selected one of them, took a wine glass down from the shelf and proceeded to pour into it a generous amount of the red liquid, hoping that it would help quell the whirlpool of emotions she was experiencing.

Kate then rummaged in the refrigerator for any leftovers that could be loosely called 'dinner'. Eventually she took a roast beef sandwich and her glass of wine into the living room where she sat on her well-used sofa in front of the television and ate, all the while attempting to keep the afternoon's events from hammering inside her head.

It was as Kate was topping up her wine glass for the second time that, to her surprise, there was a light knock on her door. Leaving her glass on the kitchen bench top, Kate took the three or four steps needed to get to her back door and opened it. For the second time that day Kate found herself peering into the blue depths of Caroline Elliot's eyes.

"Hello Kate….Can I come in?" Caroline asked hesitantly.

Totally caught off balance by this woman's unexpected appearance, Kate said nothing. Instead she let out a quick sigh of defeat.

"I can't say it on the doorstep," Caroline pleaded.

Getting only a frown from Kate and still no words, Caroline reluctantly said, "Alright….I'll go."

As the woman turned to leave Kate gathered her wits about her.

"No…come in…come in."

As Caroline crossed into the kitchen, Kate offered her a glass of the red wine which she gratefully accepted. She led her to the small dining table and invited her to sit down and then took the seat opposite for herself. To bide their time both women sipped their wine and collected their thoughts.

"Why are you here? Kate eventually asked with undisguised abruptness as the hurt from the afternoon's desertion was still raw.

"I've come back to say that I'm sorry that I left in such a hurry this afternoon…..I feel awful that I didn't tell you that I had to leave," Caroline began, obviously at a bit of a loss for words to explain her actions.

Kate stubbornly refused to help her out. Instead, she sat silently indicating with a raised eyebrow that she was waiting for Caroline to expound further.

"While you were upstairs Lawrence, my son, called me….John was supposed to pick him up from rugby training this afternoon but he hadn't turned up and Lawrence couldn't contact him so he rang me….everyone else had gone home and he'd been waiting almost an hour."

"That's fine, Caroline, but why didn't you tell me that you were going?" Kate asked unconvinced that Caroline had given her a full explanation.

"I guess I just panicked….I panicked about Lawrence…..I panicked about what was potentially happening with you and me…I won't lie to you, Kate. I am very attracted to you," Caroline continued nervously, "but I don't …I can't do casual relationships…sex. Sometimes, like this afternoon, I wish that I could…but, being me, I can't. I'm still married after all, albeit to a jerk, but to me that means something and I have to think of the boys."

Kate gave Caroline a wry smile.

"So let me get this straight…you're in charge of a rather prestigious public school and have the welfare of more than 850 students in your hands on a daily basis, or so I read this morning, and yet what happened this afternoon made you panic and take off without a single word to me," Kate stated incredulously. Caroline's eyes dropped to stare at her wine glass for a moment.

"Yes," she replied simply.

"So why start something you can't finish?" Kate asked with a tinge of annoyance in her voice. "It was you who started this…It was you who kissed me first if I remember rightly. Why lead me on?"

Embarrassed, Caroline confessed, "As I said, I am attracted to you…you're very pretty and you're kind… I'd had a couple of drinks so I was feeling brave…I thought it would be harmless enough."

Kate began to feel a little foolish as she realised how hard she had fallen for this woman in such a short time when obviously she had been reading far too much into Caroline's actions.

"It _was_ harmless, Caroline," Kate lied, "but I think it's best if we keep it strictly business from now on."

"Yes, you're right," Caroline agreed reluctantly.

She was struggling to keep the disappointment out of her voice as she recalled from the afternoon the feel of Kate's smooth, brown skin against the palm of her hand and Kate's full lips pressing against her own.

As Caroline took the last sip of wine from her glass she said to Kate, "I should probably get going. John will be wondering where I am."

"Do you have to go?"

Caroline looked at Kate curiously.

"It's just I'd like to start working on your case tomorrow," Kate clarified, "but I need some more details…John's routine, his itinerary for the next few days and so on, so if you could stay a bit longer I could get the information I need to begin."

Caroline looked at her watch. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay a little longer."

Ideally Kate would have liked to have dashed down to her office to retrieve her computer to record the information on but she had the ominous feeling that Caroline might disappear again if left alone so she settled for a notepad and pen which she found on the small desk in the corner of the living room. Kate returned to the table via the kitchen as she fetched the second bottle of wine and refilled their glasses then she proceeded to ask Caroline some relevant questions about her errant husband. She wrote down details about John's daily activities and timetable, places he was likely to visit, favourite restaurants and cafes, friends' names as well as details about his car and registration number, all the while, acutely aware of the disturbingly pleasurable effect Caroline's presence was having on her but obstinately maintaining her business-like persona.

It was another half an hour before Kate was satisfied that she had enough details to begin her task.

"I think that's all I need for now, Caroline," Kate concluded as she closed her notepad and set it aside, "I should be right to get started on that first thing tomorrow. I'll probably contact you about the middle of the week with a progress report ….sooner, of course, if there are any significant developments. Here's my business card should you need to contact me with any new information."

Kate reached over and handed Caroline one of her cards, their fingers touching lightly as the card exchanged hands.

"It might be an idea to keep that card out of sight," Kate added, "we don't want John catching on to us."

"Of course," Caroline agreed as she stood up to leave. "Thank you."

Kate walked Caroline to the door and opened it for her.

Before Caroline made her way down the steps, she turned to Kate and said once again, "I really am sorry about running out this afternoon….it was a bit cowardly."

Kate dismissed it with a wave of her hand.

"It's forgotten," the dark beauty said.

Caroline gave her a beaming smile as she said softly, "Are you sure?"

Caroline had stayed that one second too long and the smile had been the final unravelling of Kate's willpower. She cupped the blonde woman's cheeks in her hands and drew their lips together in what rapidly became a fervent kiss as Kate gently but firmly pressed Caroline up against the door. Kate had half expected Caroline to object but her enthusiasm was as ardent as Kate's. She stealthily slipped a hand under Caroline's blouse and ran her hand wantonly over any bare flesh she could find. She then moved her hand up to Caroline's breast and gamely ran her thumb across Caroline's already firm nipple.

As suddenly as Kate had begun the kiss, she ended it as she stepped back, removing her hands and her lips from Caroline's body.

"I'm sorry, Caroline….that wasn't very business-like," Kate apologised.

"No, it wasn't," Caroline replied still a little breath-taken but with the hint of a smile on her lips telling Kate that the kiss wasn't totally unwelcomed. "I'd better go."

Kate nodded.

"Goodnight, Caroline."

Kate watched from the doorway as the beautiful blonde descended the steps and walked along the side of the building, the clip of her heels distinct on the cement surface. Once Caroline was out of sight, Kate closed the door and moved over to the large windows that overlooked the street below so she could watch as her client got into her car and drove off. Kate ran her fingertips absent-mindedly over her lips as she thought to herself,_ "It's going to be another restless night."_


	4. Chapter 4

"The Case of the Philandering Husband"

Chapter 4

Sleep wasn't as difficult to find as Kate had expected with the wine helping to settle her senses into deep slumber and when she awoke on the Friday morning it was with a renewed sense of vigour and purpose. She was determined to discover whether or not John Elliot was cheating on his wife, the lovely Dr Caroline Elliot.

Kate showered and dressed, threw together a quick breakfast which she ate as she watched the morning news and then proceeded down to the office of "McKenzie Investigations" with her second cup of coffee for the morning and the notes she'd taken the previous night in her hand. She put her coffee cup down carefully on its coaster and brought her computer to life for the day. As she sat herself in the office chair, Kate commenced reading more thoroughly through her notes from her conversation with Caroline.

Usually Kate was pedantic about keeping an open mind on each and every case she worked on, letting the evidence do the talking as it wasn't anything to do with her which way the facts happened to swing. As she saw it, her job was to simply gather the facts and let the parties involved make of them what they will. However, on this case, Kate found herself struggling to maintain a respectable level of impartiality. Although she disliked seeing marriages or relationships fall apart over infidelities, Kate couldn't help thinking, from the things Caroline had and hadn't said, that John and Caroline's relationship was already waning severely. It seemed obvious to her that Caroline was tormented by some internal struggle and wasn't happy with her life and John seemed to have a lot to do with this discontent. Perhaps if Kate could catch John out with another woman then maybe Caroline would be brave enough to leave him and find what it is she needs to turn her life around.

Kate had to be honest with herself too. She was also motivated by a degree of self-interest. Caroline had made it very clear that her priority was her sons and if that meant staying in a marriage that at best was merely comfortable and convenient then she would do it for their sake provided John wasn't making a fool of her by insinuating himself into the beds of other women. Despite their obvious attraction for each other, Kate knew that with John on the scene there was no possibility of furthering her relationship with Caroline. Kate needed to know if her feelings for the delectable head teacher were in vain and did she need to move on.

Personal desires aside, Kate's professional experience told her that John Elliot was most likely a philanderer. She had been doing this job long enough to know that the behaviours that Caroline had described to her certainly fitted the pattern….being unexpectedly held up at work for several hours and late home on a regular basis, having to attend an inordinate number of overnight 'conferences', the occasional weekend away on short notice, coming home with the smell of alcohol on his breath and the faint waft of perfume on his clothes…all the signs were there and together they formed the typical pattern of behaviour of an adulterous partner. All Kate had to do was get the evidence to back up her intuition.

According to her notes, John usually worked from home on a Friday so Kate decided she would go and carry out some surveillance work. She used her computer to print off a street map giving her directions to the Elliot's address – 46 Conway Drive, Harrogate… and then dashed upstairs to get her bag, her digital camera and car keys. She then used the external stairs to reach her car which was parked in the small tenants' carpark at the rear of the building.

Within twenty minutes Kate was cruising slowly down the leafy thoroughfare that was Conway Drive. She slowed right down as she rolled past number 46. An early model BMW which fitted Caroline's description was the only vehicle parked in the drive. It was 8:30am so Caroline had obviously left for work. Kate checked the registration number against her notes….D927PTA…that was John's car.

Kate parked a short distance from no. 46 so it wasn't obvious where her attentions were focussed but where she had a good view of the driveway and she would be able to see immediately if John had any visitors or if he went out.

Kate felt uncomfortably conspicuous as she sat in her small, drab –green fiat. Normally her car was perfect for surveillance work –plain, unassuming, unnoticeable – but today she could have done with something a little more ostentatious as she parked at the curb of Conway Drive with its tall, leafy hedges partially concealing the large, impressive houses behind them with their professionally landscaped, well-manicured gardens and each with at least one luxury vehicle parked at the end of long driveways. She desperately hoped that nobody would call the police and have her moved on.

Boredom was always the enemy when doing surveillance work but Kate had done hundreds of hours of it over the years so she'd come prepared. She had a virtual library of novels and magazines lying on her backseat for when the tedium set in. For the moment though, she fiddled with her camera, fitting the most suitable lens for the distance, aiming it at the end of the Elliot driveway where John's car would have to leave from or another car enter and getting the focus just right.

Slowly, unerringly the minutes ticked by and turned into two uneventful hours. Kate was becoming increasingly restless and claustrophobic. Her ability to concentrate was decreasing rapidly. Just as she decided she'd had enough and it was time to leave, her phone buzzed telling her that she had a text message. She reached over to the passenger seat and retrieved it. It was a text message from Caroline requesting that Kate meet her at the pub near the "McKenzie Investigations" office at 5:30pm as she had some information for Kate about John.

_"Why can't she just call me and tell me what it is?" Kate wondered to herself as she replied with a simple 'Sure…C u there.'_

It wasn't that Kate minded having an excuse to meet up with the ravishing head teacher again but it made it all the more difficult as, with each meeting, Kate felt herself falling for the woman a little more despite her best efforts to resist. However, she knew that Caroline, although attracted, was not interested in pursuing anything more serious…she was off limits for the moment at least.

Once Kate had sent her message, she brought her car engine to life and was about to leave when, at the last minute, she sighted John's car exiting the driveway, his indicator showing he was heading in the opposite direction to Kate. Wanting to go faster but, for the sake of remaining unnoticed, Kate pulled out slowly from the curb and drove a short distance up the road where she then did a quick U-turn hoping that John hadn't already disappeared. To her relief, he appeared in no hurry so she caught up easily and proceeded to follow at a safe distance from her unsuspecting target.

After a short five minute drive, John pulled to the curb outside a local florist's shop. Kate whipped out her camera, focussed and took several shots of him entering the shop and then, ten minutes later, departing with an enormous bunch of exotic flowers. He had a smile on his face and a spring in his step, obviously very pleased with himself.

_"Here we go," Kate thought to herself. "Someone's hoping to score."_

Unaware that he had company, John pulled back into the traffic with Kate close behind him. To Kate's astonishment, he headed directly back the way they had come. Instead of following him down Conway Drive, Kate drove past the turn off but stopped in time to see him re-enter his own driveway.

_"Were the flowers for Caroline?" Kate asked herself._

Kate stayed and watched for another hour but there was no movement. Her efforts were fruitless so she gave up in frustration and drove off.

Back at her office, she downloaded the photos she had taken at the florist's shop although she had a feeling that they would be useless. Nevertheless, she created a file and saved them. Kate then spent the best part of an hour filling in her time sheet for the day and compiling her report for Caroline on the day's events.

While she was at her computer, she also checked her emails and quickly skimmed through the information that had been sent to her from the insurance company concerning the other case she was about to begin work on. There was a summary of the damages claim…a woman claiming she has been unable to work since tripping over an unmarked hazard at a local shopping centre and hitting her head as she fell into the fountain and is therefore suing the shopping centre for lost earnings…the insurance company is claiming that she was inebriated at the time but the woman says that she doesn't drink alcoholic beverages. There was also a photograph of the woman attached to the email. It would be Kate's task to actually catch her out having a tipple. Again Kate created a new file and saved all the information.

Taking a quick glance at the office clock, Kate figured she had enough time to take a leisurely shower to help uncramp her muscles from sitting in her car all morning and change into some fresh clothes before meeting up with Caroline at the pub at 5:30pm so she locked the shop door and headed upstairs to her flat.

oooOooo

Kate arrived at the pub not much after five o'clock and killed some time participating in some lively conversation firstly with the pub's owner as he poured her a glass of wine 'on the house' and then with some of the other local characters that she'd become friendly with since she had moved to the neighbourhood.

At precisely 5:30pm Kate's eyes swept towards the doorway and came to rest on the stunning figure of Dr Elliot. Seeing Kate sitting at the bar, Caroline headed towards her giving her a glorious smile on the way. She had obviously come straight from work and was wearing a figure-hugging black skirt, a blue stripped shirt the blue of which accentuated further the blueness of her eyes and a pair of black high heels that emphasized her fabulous legs. Caroline's blonde hair was swept up and held in a clasp at the back of her head. As Kate watched the vision walk towards her she almost forgot to breathe. The private investigator also noticed that it wasn't just her own head that was turned at the arrival of the new comer. However, Caroline seemed oblivious to all the attention she was attracting.

"Evening, Dr Elliot. What would you like to drink?" Kate asked good-humouredly as the woman sidled up beside her.

"Hello," Caroline replied with a warm smile, "I'd love a white wine, please."

Once the drinks were served both women went to the booths in the more secluded part of the pub where they could have some privacy. The bar tender grinned and gave Kate an approving wink as she left the bar. Kate frowned and rolled her eyes at him.

Both women sat silently for a moment….each sipping their wine…each overtly aware of the presence of the other until Kate eventually opened up the conversation.

"Caroline, is today a special occasion for you and John? A wedding anniversary? Birthday?" Kate asked.

Looking a little puzzled, Caroline replied, "No…why?"

"Is John in the habit of randomly buying you flowers?"

"John?" Caroline laughed mockingly, "John hasn't bought me flowers in years….why would he start now?"

"Well, he bought a huge bunch of flowers for someone today and took them back to your house," Kate explained.

Caroline looked totally bewildered.

"I haven't been home yet, Kate, so I don't know whether they're for me or not."

"Will you let me know when you get home?" Kate asked, "But if he doesn't mention them then don't let on you know about them."

Caroline nodded but was obviously distracted by some thought.

"Am I doing the right thing by having him followed?" Caroline contemplated aloud.

"Just because he _possibly_ buys you flowers doesn't mean he isn't having an affair….actually, it's more likely to mean he _is_ having an affair and is feeling guilty about it," Kate said, feeling a little exasperated at how easily Caroline was willing to give in.

Instead of replying, Caroline took another thoughtful sip of her wine. Kate could see that she was losing her nerve.

"Caroline, you've come this far….don't you think you deserve to know the truth no matter which way it goes so you can move on with your life?"

Caroline looked at Kate and gave her a small, sad smile which made Kate want to reach out and hold this woman and assure her that everything would be fine in the end but she couldn't so, instead she changed the subject.

"What is it that you wanted to tell me about John?"

"Oh…yes…that," Caroline remembered as she regained her composure. "John's off to London tomorrow morning. He says he has a meeting with his publishers. He's written the draft of a new novel…some sort of family saga he reckons….and his editor wants to discuss it with him so he's gone for two nights….leaves tomorrow on the 9:05am train and comes back Monday afternoon. His publishers usually put him up at The Montague….a perfect opportunity for a fling, don't you think?"

"I guess I'm off to London then," Kate announced.

Two empty wine glasses now sat on the table but both women seemed reluctant to leave.

"Would you like another drink?" Kate asked hopefully.

Caroline considered the offer but then thought the better of it.

"Thank you but I have to drive. I'd better be heading off," Caroline replied half-heartedly and with that she stood up to leave.

Kate joined her.

As they stepped out onto the footpath Kate asked, "Where are you parked?"

"Just up the street a bit," Caroline replied as she pointed in the direction of her car.

"It's dark. I'll walk with you."

"I'll be fine…you don't have to," Caroline began but Kate had already set off and wasn't listening.

Caroline quick-stepped to catch up to her.

They walked side by side in comfortable silence and as they walked Kate felt Caroline's warm fingers take hold of her hand. Her pulse raced but she said nothing. It was only when they drew up beside the car and she needed to search in her handbag for her keys that Caroline released her hold.

Before Caroline opened the driver's door she turned to face Kate…they stood barely a breath apart…Caroline timidly ran a sensual finger along Kate's dark cheek. Kate looked into the woman's cobalt eyes where she saw what she sensed to be a tinge of something that she couldn't quite name…Sadness? Regret? Melancholy? Caroline's finger came to rest under Kate's chin which she tilted up slightly and softly kissed Kate's mouth, their lips barely touching but the affect was electrifying.

"Let me know how you get on in London," were Caroline's final words before getting into the car and driving off.

Kate stood there on the footpath for another moment, her eyes following the car down the street, her mind trying to make sense of what was going on. Finally, none the wiser, she turned and strolled back to her flat where she busied herself packing a few basic things in an overnight bag in preparation for her visit to London.

Just as Kate had curled up comfortably on her sofa and had opened the latest novel she was reading, her phone buzzed letting her know that there was a message. It was from Caroline. There on her screen was a photograph of the flowers with a card saying, 'To my lovely wife….all my love, John.' The accompanying message from Caroline said, "He's up to something. Please find out what it is."

oooOooo

Despite it being a Saturday morning, the Harrogate train station wasn't overly busy and Kate was easily able to spot John as he waited on the platform for the 9:05am train to London. He wore faded jeans and a dark brown, well-worn leather jacket, underneath which could be seen a lightweight, navy blue jumper and his collar and tails showed a blue-checked shirt. With him he carried a shabby overnight bag and a laptop in its case.

The train pulled into the station right on time and Kate discreetly followed him onto an end carriage. Once settled in his seat, John immediately opened his laptop and began tapping on the keys. Kate sat only a few seats away and pulled out the magazine she had been reading.

Three hours and one train change later, John alighted at his station with Kate hot on his heels. She followed him to The Montague hotel where it was obvious to Kate that the desk staff knew him from previous visits.

As soon as John had left the reception desk and headed for the elevators, Kate approached the desk and booked in also. A quick scan of the business side of the desk told Kate that John was in room 416 but was only booked in for one night.

_"Hadn't Caroline said he was there for two nights …home Monday?" Kate mused._

On the same level but several doors away in room 405 Kate tossed her overnight bag on the bed and headed directly back to the lobby where, fortunately, she didn't have to wait too long for John to appear. She followed him as he made his way several blocks towards the city centre and then, eventually, into the rather contemporary-looking building of his publishers, Kershaw and Whittle. Rather than enter the building, Kate planned to sit it out in the café beside.

Almost an hour later, John emerged from the building accompanied by a slightly older looking man.

_"His agent, perhaps?" thought Kate. _

Again she followed as they headed off purposefully to what turned out to be The Montague. They bypassed the elevators and went directly to the hotel's bar. There they ensconced themselves in the plush surrounds and over the next three hours indulged in a generous amount of wine and a small amount of food. Kate observed them from a table not easily visible from where John was sitting. She didn't need to see them because the more they drank the louder and more animated the conversation became. Finally, Kate watched as the pair stumbled their way to the bar one last time. John purchased yet another bottle of wine, then, rather than return to the table, they both zigzagged unsteadily from the bar to the doorway. Here, they shook hands enthusiastically, gave each other a number of friendly slaps on the shoulder and then went their separate ways….the friend went to the hotel entrance and John to the elevators.

_"Is that jerk even capable of having an affair?" Kate wondered as she watched in amused horror as he relieved himself on an innocent pot plant._

Kate decided that John was not planning on going out anymore that night so she officially clocked off for the day.

oooOooo

Back in her room, Kate tried to settle down and watch the television but she'd done too much watching in the last day or two. She felt the need to get out and do something, after all, she didn't get to London often so why waste the opportunity. Kate wasn't averse to venturing out on her own and perhaps, if she was lucky, she'd find some company…someone to help her take her mind off the unattainable Caroline Elliot.

Showered and glammed up, Kate enjoyed a superb but somewhat overpriced meal in the hotel's restaurant and then caught a cab to London's newest 'women only' bar that she'd heard about…"The Last Tango."

As Kate entered she was quite captivated by the comfortable and inviting atmosphere and the stylish features. It was too early in the evening for a large crowd but there were already several groups of women scattered around the spacious room as well as four of five couples. In the background, another room perhaps, the faint rhythm of dance music could be heard.

Kate walked up to the bar with its dim lighting and glass shelves artfully displaying an impressive choice of spirits and other drinks and ordered herself a gin and tonic. The bar attendant was chatty and easy on the eyes so Kate settled herself on a stool there for the time being.

As the night kicked on a steady stream of women of all descriptions entered the room and it was soon filled with the sound of raucous laughter and friendly chatter. The bar had become busy so Kate had moved to a small table where she sat alone, content to allow the vibrant atmosphere engulf her. Quite unexpectedly Kate heard a voice speaking to her.

"Pardon?" Kate replied, a little taken aback as she turned to see a very stunning, dark –haired woman standing beside her.

The woman laughed showing a set of brilliant white teeth.

"I said 'sure you can buy me a drink' if you would like to," the woman repeated. "My name's Tamsyn. Do you mind if I join you?"

Kate's brain finally caught onto what was happening and she gave the woman a smile of cognizance as she pulled out the chair and said, "I would love you to join me. What would you like to drink?"

"I'd like a gin and tonic, thank you," the woman replied, her voice husky and seductive.

_"Perhaps the day isn't going to be a total loss after all," Kate thought to herself as she made her way to the bar._


	5. Chapter 5

"The Case of the Philandering Husband"

Chapter 5

As Kate returned from the bar with a gin and tonic in each hand, her eyes ran approvingly over her new acquaintance, Tamsyn. The private investigator in Kate automatically began to size her up. The woman, Kate estimated, was probably four or five years younger than her. She had smooth, dark skin and a beautifully curvaceous figure. Her best features, Kate thought, were her large, doe-like brown eyes with their long lashes and her wild mane of dark, corkscrew curls as well as her disarming smile. The obviously expensive cut of her clothing and her select pieces of jewellery told Kate that she probably had plenty of money to throw about. Kate placed the drinks on their table.

Over the course of the evening Kate found herself enjoying the company of the charismatic and confident woman very much. They laughed and talked animatedly about a wide range of topics. With a couple of more drinks under their belt, the lovely Tamsyn suggested that they take to the dance floor. Kate appeared a little hesitant so Tamsyn grabbed her hand enthusiastically and led the way into the next room where the loud, rhythmic beat of the dance music filled the air. They found a small space on the crowded floor where they could dance. As one song melded into the next, Kate leaned in close so Tamsyn could hear her and indicated that she was going to the bar. Tamsyn smiled and nodded her understanding as she danced on.

From the bar Kate watched as her new friend danced blithely amongst the melee of women.

At the end of the song Tamsyn joined Kate at her niche by the bar. Kate began to ask her if she would like a drink but before she could finish her sentence she found herself silenced by a steamy kiss. Taken by surprise, Kate's initial reaction was to pull back but instead, as the sensuous press of Tamsyn's mouth and touch of her tongue stirred her, Kate decided to go with the flow.

When their lips finally parted, Tamsyn's large, brown eyes peered into Kate's as she said, "I hope I haven't frightened you…have I? You're so beautiful and I couldn't resist any longer."

Flattered and momentarily lost for words, Kate simply smiled at her.

Tamsyn laughed her infectious laugh at Kate's muteness. "I have frightened you!"

"No…I wouldn't say 'frightened'…more like 'surprised'…it was unexpected," an embarrassed Kate tried to explain.

"Would it 'surprise' you then if I suggested we leave here and I invited you back to my apartment?" Tamsyn asked with a tease in her voice. "I'm staying only a couple of blocks from here."

Kate was about to politely refuse the invitation when she remembered that she was on a mission…a mission to get over Dr Caroline Elliot….so Kate replied by quickly downing the remainder of her drink, grasping Tamsyn's hand in her own and leading her towards the exit.

It was only a short walk to the bold, modern building where the woman lived. They were greeted by a concierge as they entered and headed for the lifts. In the lift, Tamsyn pressed the button to the penthouse suite then drew Kate to her and yet again seared her mouth with a red hot kiss, releasing her only when the doors to the elevator opened as they arrived at the top of the building.

Breath-taken and a little flustered, Kate followed the gorgeous Tamsyn the short distance to her door which she opened to a room of tasteful opulence. Although generally not a person to be swayed by wealth or status, Kate found it difficult not to be impressed by the elegant surrounds.

Tamsyn took Kate's hand and led her into the room. She placed her arms loosely around Kate's waist and kissed her playfully on the cheek before heading for the bar.

"Can I get you a drink? A glass of champagne or a wine? Or another gin and tonic perhaps?"

Although not easily intimidated, Kate was thinking she probably needed another drink to give her some dutch courage.

"Champagne sounds good….thank you," Kate replied gratefully.

Kate watched the easy sway of the woman's hips as she walked across the room to deliver the drinks. She couldn't help but think of Caroline and the way she loved to see her enter a room, her hips swaying and an air of confidence surrounding her.

Tamsyn stood beside Kate and handed her her champagne flute and then, as they took their first sips, she slipped her hand beneath Kate's loose blouse and softly, seductively stroked the bare skin she found there, her velvet-soft, brown eyes never leaving Kate's face. Kate closed her eyes and let the champagne bubbles tickle her mouth and Tamsyn's hand explore her body. Her mind involuntarily conjured up visions of Caroline's face…her blue eyes and soft lips smiling at her. Realising what was happening, Kate quickly opened her eyes and gave her head a shake to clear the image. Tamsyn had put her champagne flute down on the bar and moved even closer to Kate until their bodies were pressed lightly against each other and then she reached for Kate's glass as well. She gently took Kate's face in her hands and drew their mouths together in a long, languid kiss which Kate happily fell into until, with a start, she realised that the lips pressed against her own were not the ones she was imagining they were and the hand that was cupping her breast was not the hand she wanted there. Suddenly Kate stopped and stepped back.

"Is everything alright?" Tamsyn asked, confused by Kate's sudden change of heart.

"I'm sorry," Kate stammered apologetically, "I thought I could do this…normally I _can_ do this but….and please don't take this the wrong way….it's not your fault….it's just that you're not the person I need you to be."

"Let me guess…you have a girlfriend?"

"No…not exactly…it's too complicated to explain….it's probably best if I just leave."

The woman closed the gap between them once more and traced a perfect finger across Kate's lips.

"It's a shame really…I was rather looking forward to getting such a beautiful woman naked," Tamsyn replied with a flirtatious smile.

She then placed a kiss ever so lightly on Kate's cheek before stepping back and allowing her to leave.

Kate flashed her an apologetic smile before she headed out the door, grateful that the woman had been so gracious and understanding.

Back in her own hotel room Kate flopped wearily on the bed still not quite believing what she'd done and the opportunity she'd given up.

_"She was gorgeous and clever and funny and you walked out! What's your problem, McKenzie?"_ she chastised herself.

The answer to that was simple. Caroline Elliot.

As Kate prepared herself for bed she decided that she would have to deal with her 'Caroline' infatuation another way or just let it run its course….long and painful as that might be.

The alarm beside her bed was set for 7:00am. Kate suspected that John was up to something. He'd only booked one night at The Montague but had told Caroline that he'd be away for two. Kate wanted to be there if and when he checked out in the morning.

oooOooo

It seemed like her eyes had only just shut when the sound of the alarm made them spring open again. Kate reached over and turned off the annoying noise and gradually rolled out of bed and made her way to the shower.

By 8:30am Kate was down at reception checking out and desperately hoping that her hunch would prove to be right. As she finished paying her bill she began to ask the man serving her a question.

"Is Mr Elliot still…."

She didn't need to finish her inquiry as an unshaven and rather hung over John Elliot approached the desk next to her with his keycard in hand. He was checking out also.

Kate made to leave, drawing as little attention to herself as possible and then ducked out of sight to allow John to go ahead so she could follow him, although she suspected that she knew where he was heading.

John stood on the train platform waiting impatiently for the train back to Harrogate to arrive blissfully unaware that Kate was only metres away keeping a sharp eye on him. When the train arrived, Kate once again followed him onto an end carriage. Both of them spent a good amount of the trip back catching up on sleep.

A short distance from Harrogate station Kate noticed John take out his phone and make a call. As soon as the train pulled to a halt Kate quickly alighted and made a dash to the long term carpark where she'd left her fiat. She drove out the exit but then pulled over a short distance away ready to stay on John's trail. As she waited she readied her camera.

The investigator kept her eyes peeled on the exit as each vehicle left until finally she spotted John in the passenger side of a battered early model Vauxhall. The driver was a woman with long, dark hair. As they drove off, Kate pulled out and remained a discreet distance behind them. Kate's excitement level rose as she sensed that she was onto something.

After a rather short and erratic drive, the woman indicated and then veered into the carpark beside a local pub. Kate stayed parked out on the street and watched as John and the woman went inside. Kate entered soon after and seated herself in a booth not far from the couple. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, she used her mobile phone to take photos of them as they shared a bottle of wine, ate their meal and held hands affectionately across the tabletop. Kate couldn't help thinking that she had seen the woman somewhere before but couldn't quite place her.

When the meal was finished and the wine bottle emptied, John and the dark-haired woman exited via the attached bottle shop and eventually headed for their car carrying a bag clanging with a number of wine bottles.

They drove off and soon enough were winding through the backstreets in one of the less attractive parts of Harrogate. Kate had to keep well behind as the traffic had thinned right out. The street they were in was lined with small businesses, a dubious-looking café or two, a pawn shop and the like. Each shop front had metal bars across the windows and roller doors to secure them after closing. Most of the shops had small flats above them. The woman parked the car outside a vacant shop front. Kate used her long lens to snap photos of John, carrying his overnight bag and computer, following the woman up a narrow set of stairs that led to the flat above. All the while, the woman's familiarity nagged at the back of Kate's brain.

Although Kate felt she had enough photographic evidence to convince Caroline that John was having an affair, for the sake of being thorough, she decided to keep watch for a bit longer.

After sitting and waiting in her car for something to happen, Kate's stomach began to growl its protest of hunger so she decided to brave the nearby pizza shop. She placed her order and grabbed a well-read magazine from the pile in the rack as she waited patiently. Suddenly loud, drunken voices made her look up from the article on Princess Diana.

"What kind of pizza do you want, you silly cow?" It was John and with him was the woman.

Kate quickly stuck her head back in the magazine, hoping that John didn't notice her and recognise her from the desk at The Montague. However, she suspected he was too inebriated and self-centred to worry about anyone but himself. Kate took the opportunity to get a good look at John's companion. She was probably in her early forties with the long, dark hair framing a longish face. Her eyes were a dark green and almond-shaped and her mouth quite full. She was only a little shorter than John and had a rather bohemian dress style. It was obvious from the way she swayed unsteadily that she too had had a little too much to drink.

While John busied himself placing his order and trying to sort out money to pay for it, Kate quickly absconded from the shop. Her stomach would have to wait until she got back to her flat. She jumped into her car and headed for her office. An idea was forming in her head and she needed to check it out.

As soon as she was in her office, Kate fired up her computer and waited impatiently for the system to come to life. Once it was ready she located the file that contained the information that had been sent to her by the insurance company. She opened the folder where she had saved the photograph of the woman making the claim. Her hunch was right. It was the same woman….the one John was having the affair with…a 'Judith O'Rourke'. Kate sat back in her chair with a very self-satisfied look on her face. It wasn't often she got to kill two birds with one stone.

Her stomach was still complaining so Kate went up to her flat and searched her fridge until she came up with a plate of leftovers which she then took back to her office and ate as she methodically saved all of the relevant photos from her camera and phone, cross-filing the ones that needed to go to the insurance company as well. By the time everything was saved and backed up it was late and Kate was ready for bed.

oooOooo

First thing the next morning Kate rang Caroline and organised a meeting for the afternoon. The earliest Caroline could see herself getting away from work was 4:30pm so the appointment was made for 5:00pm. Kate then spent the remainder of the morning on the tedious task of typing up her reports and preparing invoices.

As five o'clock approached, Kate recognised the now familiar feeling, a mixture of excitement and nervousness, that she got in the pit of her stomach whenever she was about to see Caroline Elliot. She knew she would have to show restraint and tact as she was about to break potentially bad news to her client about her philandering husband.

Promptly at 5:00pm Caroline entered the office of "McKenzie Investigations" carrying the same air of haughtiness and self-confidence that Kate had perceived the very first time she'd come in but this time she knew it was only a top layer and below was a far more vulnerable Caroline. Kate sat at her desk, very business-like, and offered Caroline the seat opposite her which the woman accepted.

Foregoing any small talk, Caroline said straight up, "I presume I'm here because you have some information for me…you've caught him at it with some whore?"

Kate could see Caroline's façade immediately start to crumble as her eyes began to tear up and her chin tremble ever so slightly. Kate gave her a moment to regain her composure before going into the details. This was always the most difficult aspect of Kate's job, watching people's lives as they know them fall apart.

Kate opened the manila folder on her desk and slid it towards Caroline for her perusal.

"This is a full report of everything I've done, all expenses and my findings," Kate explained as she flipped through the pages.

"What exactly did you find?" Caroline asked a bit more defensively than she'd intended.

After giving Caroline a brief synopsis of the last few days, Kate then opened a large, brown envelope which contained a print out of the incriminating photos she had taken which she handed to Caroline.

Up until now Kate had managed to maintain a professional persona but as she watched Caroline scan the photos which showed beyond doubt that her husband was in the throes of an affair and a slow tear trickle down her cheek, Kate wanted nothing more than to put her arms around her and console her but she knew Caroline wouldn't appreciate the sympathy.

"I'm sorry, Caroline," Kate said sincerely, for although she knew that Caroline would eventually be better off without John, she hated to see her hurting.

Without bothering to brush away the tear, Caroline looked up at Kate and replied, "I'm not….sorry… that is. It gives me a reason to get the self-obsessed prick out of my life."

Caroline collected up the manila folder with her copy of the report, put the photos back in the envelope and then tucked them all away in her handbag. She'd seen all she needed to see for now.

"How much do I owe you?" Caroline asked stoically.

"There's an invoice with the report," Kate replied reluctantly sensing that their business was nearly done and that Caroline was about to leave. "You can fix the bill up in the next day or two if you like. Don't worry about it now."

Caroline nodded and gave Kate a small smile of appreciation as she stood up. Kate wasn't prepared for her to leave just yet…not like this. She rounded the desk and stood in front of Caroline. They stood barely a breath apart as Kate's soft, brown eyes looked into Caroline's sapphire blues.

Kate ran her hands tenderly down each side of the Caroline's face as she asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine," she replied softly, her tough facade almost completely evaporated.

"It's none of my business so don't feel obliged to answer but….what are you going to do?"

Caroline thought for a moment before replying.

"First I'm going to explain to William and Lawrence what a low-life, self-centred jerk their father is and then I'm going to nail his tiny, pink bollocks to the wall and demand a divorce. After that….."

Suddenly, becoming acutely aware of Kate's presence and nearness, Caroline stopped speaking and instead she gently pulled Kate closer still until the small gap between their bodies was closed. She held the investigator's worried face in her hands and drew Kate's irresistible lips towards her own until they met in a kiss that began gently at first then, as the warmth and want reached out to them both, it became one of deep passion and fierce desire, each woman releasing what seemed like a lifetime of pent up yearnings. Neither woman could remember ever being kissed or kissing like that before.

Slowly it came to an end as lips reluctantly parted. Their foreheads touched but their eyes stayed closed for a moment longer as they each savoured the exhilaration of the kiss and what it could possibly mean.

"After that…" Caroline continued, "I'm going to do what I probably should have done many years ago…I'm going to follow my heart."

_**A/N This story is now complete...Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it.**_


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